


Serene Scenery

by Fortuna14



Series: Learning to Live, Failing to Function [3]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-07-20 01:30:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19983817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortuna14/pseuds/Fortuna14
Summary: The first time Shadow goes to Angel Island is because Rouge drags him.





	1. Chapter 1

"We're going out." Rouge announced, abruptly opening the door to Shadow's room, pleased to see he was awake, even if he was reading in bed. "Put on something you don't mind getting ruined."

Shadow looked up from his book, part of a series she had from when she was younger about a girl named Honor, and gave Rouge a once-over. She knew what she looked like, dressed in her casual workout wear, a loose tank top over a sports bra and bicycle shorts, hair braided back so it couldn't get in her face. She also knew Shadow well enough to know he would get the hint, and left as soon as she had earned his acknowledgement.

Pleased as she was that he was awake and doing something, even if that something was reading, it had been well over a week, almost two, since he had left the apartment, barely leaving his room for the better part of it, and she was staging a slight intervention. Rouge was a force of nature when she wanted to be, and go out for a bit would do him a world of good.

It was ten minutes later, while Rouge was debating making sure he was actually getting changed, when Shadow finally left his room. A slightly too large black tee-shirt and shorts hanging off his frame. Rouge made a note to make sure he ate more, even if was just soup and crackers.

"Where to?" He asked, sitting on the couch to lace up his shoes, glancing at the bag Rouge had placed next to the door.

"Angel Island." She responded, not missing the surprise that momentarily flickered across Shadow's face. 

"I have no desire to help you steal the Master Emerald." He said, completely stopping with his shoes to give her his full attention as he said this.

"We aren't going to steal the rock!" Rouge exclaimed with exasperation. "Why does everyone think that the only reason I would ever go there is because of a stupid rock!? I mean yes, it is a very, very pretty rock, but I do have other interests . . . At any rate, I already spoke with Knuckes, and so long as we stay away from certain spots and are respectful to the animals, it's fine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading to the Island takes time, and conversation takes place.

"So, besides 'not' stealing the Master Emerald, what are we doing?" Shadow asked while munching on the apple Rouge had shoved in his hand as they were leaving the apartment.

"Exploration. There is a lot of old ruins up there. Knuckles is usually alright with exploring them, so long as we clue him in if we find anything that looks undisturbed."

"You do this a lot?"

"Like I said, I do have other interests. You know the sapphire I have in my room?"

"The pink one?"

Rouge hummed an affirmative. "I actually found in a collapsed ruin, Knuckles didn't want me to have it."

"You stole it, didn't you?" It wasn't even a question, not really. He knew her, and he knew that tone.

"Well it's not _my_ fault if he was soon distracted by an unfairly intact secret room, with obscene amounts of writing, none the less."

"Of _course_ not. I'm sure you nothing to do with the timing, either."

“Perish the thought.” She told him, smile on her face at the playful bickering. “We can’t go to that one though, Knuckles sealed it off, something about family legacy, yada, yada.”

Shadow could respect that, from what he understood, Knuckles was the last of his people, if he wanted to protect the information of his ancestors, there was nothing wrong with that.

"There is this one Temple in the desert that we are definitely not going to. I’m still mad about last time I was there, and I don’t want to deal with that any time soon. I was _traumatized_ , I tell you." Rouge told him, putting on theatrics for the last sentence.

"What happened?" He asked, knowing she was waiting for a response so she could finish her dramatic retelling.

"Well, I finally managed to get my Emerald away from Knucklehead.”

“ _Your_ Emerald?”

“ _My_ Emerald. But of course he just won’t let it be and then the Doctor showed up, not that I knew who he was, at the time. And _he_ tried to steal the Emerald, so Knuckles, in his _infinite wisdom_ shattered the Master Emerald."

Shadow stopped short. "He _what!?_ "

"He shattered the Master Emerald." Rouge repeated, as if saying it again would help. It didn't. “I throttled him for that.”

" _When_ was this?" Because he was pretty sure that the Island was floating, which it _needed_ the Master Emerald to do.

"Just before we met you actually.” Rouge paused, as if only just realizing something. “Like, literally right before. Huh. I never actually registered that with how hectic things got.”

“That’s one word for it.” Shadow grumbles, falling into silence with Rouge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rouge does a dramatic retelling of Sonic 2, well the her first cut scene. I don't know how that happened it was not the plan.  
> Thank you all for the kudos, they make me smile.  
> Next chapter is in the works and they should actually make it to the island, if not much further, we'll see.  
> Did you know Charmy lives on the island? I was like "Strawberry fields, great they can go picking. wait charmy lives there, I feel like a hyperactive bee child would not be the best to run into at the moment."
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated. I like knowing what people think.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conversation. And the exact activity of the day is discussed.

There were many ways to get up to Angel Island, something Rouge was happy to make use of. She didn’t have the energy to deal with hyperactivity, hadn’t for weeks. Part of the reason the trip was today was due to having talked to Espio to make sure Charmy wouldn’t be nearby. She had no patience for dealing with the bee child.

"Which way did you want to take up there?” Shadow spoke up suddenly, as they got further away from the commotion that was surely Sonic. She didn't have the patience to deal with him, either.

“Right.” Rouge comments, placing a hand on his arm and leading him lightly in that direction. It was a rather nice day and they had time. Might as well take the scenic route, it would a nice change to take the ferry. 

"Anywhere in particular that we are exploring?" Shadow inquires, he was still slightly apprehensious about invading what was essentially Knuckles domain.

"Well we can go explore the Strawberry Fields." Was Rouge's immediate response, that had been her plan after all.

"Strawberry fields?" 

"Yeah, we could pick strawberries. And berry picking is one of those life milestones you just have to do at least once. I used to go blueberry picking when I was little, it was always fun, they were the first jewels I ever stole. 'Fruit mixed with water, in layers of leaves, like two kinds of jewels, a vision for thieves.'" Rouge quoted to him, a content smile on her face.

Honestly, sometimes he wondered if she wasn’t more of a magpie than a bat.

"What was that?" Rouge asked, making him realize he had mumbled his thoughts aloud.

"Nothing . . ." He hedged, taking notice that she seemed more amused than offended.

"Uh huh." The amusement clear on her tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait. It's not much but I need more of these two at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its's time for a ferry ride.

It wasn't long before the ferry came into view. It wasn't a big operation, but it was the main way of transportation for those that lived on the island and those that wanted to visit it.

Run by an older couple and their children, the fare was reasonably enough, for those visiting, and was free for the residents of the isle, but that didn't mean they didn't chip money into the donation box to help keep it running. 

Shadow knew better than to argue as Rouge paid the fare for the both of them and pulled him in to get a seat. The ferry went every 30 minutes, like clockwork, one from the top and bottom leaving their station and passing each other halfway through the journey. They had arrived at maybe ten to the hour, so they wouldn't have to wait long.

They were the only ones on the ferry going up, besides a family of cats. But Rouge and Shadow paid them little mind.

"You don't have any objections to this, right?" Rouge asks. Shadow would sometimes just go along with things Rouge wanted and she really didn't want this to be one of those times. She wanted him to enjoy this experience.

"To . . . What exactly?" To taking the ferry? Not really. To visiting the island specifically? Maybe a little, but it was fine. To going strawberry picking? He'd never been, so not really,

"Everything." 

"Nah." Was the easy response. "It sounds interesting, and rather low stress, so why not?"

"Umm. Excuse me. Miss?" Both Shadow a Rouge look to see the littlest cat from the nearby family standing not too far from them, pulling lightly on her hair, as if it would hide her. "You're really pretty. Okay, that's all, bye." She says in a rush, before skittering back to her older siblings and amused looking parents.

Shadow is chuckling at the adorable little kitten. And Rouge calls out, "Why, thank you, hun!" The amusement on her tongue clear for all to hear.

The little kitten just buries her head in her older sibling's chest, trying to hide from the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a second chapter. Be happy, please?


End file.
